Let's Go Back for May 2, 2014

40 Years Ago, May 1, 1974

Residents indignant over killing of mallard

Residents in the area of Stony Point and Huth roads were shocked and angered last Thursday evening when a male mallard duck, one of a pair of annual nesters in the area, was deliberately shot in the head with a pellet gun (or similar weapon) and killed.

The arrival of the mallards has been an annual affair, looked forward to by parents and children alike. For three or four years, the pair of colorful waterfowl have nested in the vicinity and raised their young to the delight of the neighborhood. ... Obviously, the wild birds felt comfortable in the company of the human community. In abridging that mutual trust, the ill-advised hunter has earned the scorn of his community.

According to reports, his excuse was that he believed the duck was injured and therefore shot it. No one else in the neighborhood seems to accept that explanation as fact. ... The matter has been reported to the conservation office and it is expected that he will pursue the enforcement of the law in this case.

30 Years Ago, April 27, 1984

'It's Academic' in doubt till final second

A down-to-the-wire playoff round in the "It's Academic" series will be broadcast Sunday at noon on Channel 4. Depew, Canisius and, of course, Grand Island, are the contenders in this April 29 broadcast session.

Competition went "right down to the last second" according to Dr. Herbert Sullivan, curriculum director at the high school, as the teams went down to a tension-filled conclusion right at the buzzer. Grand Island's team members are junior Ed Baldwin (captain), and seniors Marie Garten and Sue Rockwell.

20 Years Ago, April 29, 1994

Islanders advised to check insurance

Although all seems quiet regarding the Seneca lawsuit to claim Grand Island, property-owning residents are being advised to buy more title insurance.

Because of the Seneca land claim, homeowners trying to sell property cannot legally prove they have a "free and clear title," according to local attorneys. But fee title insurance insures the entire value of the house against the Seneca claim, attorney Ronald A. Sipos says.

Cost of the one-time premium for an owner's policy is about $630 for a $100,000 house, attorney Kevin Kinney estimates. ...

Despite the Indian lawsuit and need for property owners to consider buying the additional title insurance, at least one developer has found it no deterrent in selling land, claiming sales of lots this spring have met expectations "and then some."

10 Years Ago, April 30, 2004

School district receives achievement results

Just as students receive report cards, so do school districts, and Tuesday's Grand Island Board of Education meeting was the district's opportunity to present its achievement results to the public.

"We're doing exceedingly well at the middle school level in all areas, English language arts, math and science in particular," said Dr. Karen S. Karmazin, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in the Grand Island School District. "And that's very unusual relative to the national trends in middle schools as well as local schools, so our results are quite competitive." ...